[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3039]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            IN RECOGNITION OF THE VICTIMS OF SUMGAIT POGROMS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 27, 2015

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the Sumgait 
pogroms--violent riots that resulted in the murder of hundreds of 
Armenians. This was perhaps one of the most gruesome atrocities in a 
series of hostile acts against the Armenian people.
  In 1988, Armenians living in the town of Sumgait in Azerbaijan were 
burned alive, thrown from windows and senselessly murdered by 
Azerbaijanis. Hundreds of people were killed, raped, and maimed simply 
because they were Armenians.
  The police forces turned a blind eye towards the situation and 
allowed the crimes to continue for three days without intervention. 
Since then, Azerbaijan has sought to cover up these crimes and rewrite 
history.
  As we prepare to observe 100 years since the Armenian Genocide, these 
more recent acts of violence against Armenians remind us that the work 
towards peace in the region continues.
  Today, we recognize the anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms and to 
call attention to the work we have ahead of us. We have a shared 
responsibility to speak out when groups of people are targeted with 
oppression and violence just because of their ethnicity.
  Along with my colleagues on the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus, 
I continue my efforts to try and shed light on these events so that 
those lives lost are not forgotten. We will continue to promote mutual 
understanding and security through the Caucasus region.
  It is my hope that we can all join together in condemning acts of 
violence in the past, and renew our commitment to vigilance in the 
future.

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